Ruben Amorim’s latest setback? An FA Cup fifth round exit at home to Fulham, as the Red Devils could only manage 1-1 over 120 minutes before falling 4-3 in penalties.
The first six penalties between the two sides were converted before Bernd Leno saved Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee, leaving Antonee Robinson’s converted penalty as the difference maker.
MORE — Recap, player ratings from Man Utd vs Fulham
Man United out-attempted the Cottagers 20-12 and won both the xG and big chances battles, but only got a Bruno Fernandes goal set-up by Diogo Dalot as Leno made eight saves over 120 minutes as a bit of penalty foreshadowing.
What did Amorim say after the game? Amorim thinks it’s not about effort but about the current quality of the players, and it’s hard to argue when looking at the attackers aside from Bruno Fernandes.
Ruben Amorim on FA Cup exit: Manchester United must focus on becoming Premier League force
“We started quite well with good possession, controlling the game but we could not maintain that for the whole game. Sometimes we dropped the line to feel more comfortable in transition. I think we made the best chances in the game but sometimes we didn’t control the game with the ball but in the end penalties can happen for both sides and today was not our day.”
Will there be a striker change? “Anything can happen in the next games. We need to see the opposition, feel the moment of the player physically in this moment with a lot of games. We play Thursday-Sunday and anything can happen. I will choose the best players to win the next match.
“We have a problem with goals. Today we created situations but even in the last games sometimes you feel on set pieces we are going to make some danger. So the first step is to create situations. Today we create but we have to improve that to help our forwards and strikers to score.”
On Alejandro Garnacho: “You can feel it that he has a little knock in the knee. He’s good in transitions. We need that in the team sometimes. He’s creating and he’s trying to go 1-against-1. That’s also something we lack in this club. He did well today so he has to be ready for the next match.”
“I think we are better in the first ball than the second ball. I think it is also sometimes the quality of the players. Bruno, Casemiro, and Josh [Zirkzee] are improving a lot.”
On penalty shootout: “I try to relax the players and they know that it is something that is technical but you have to be relaxed and confident.
Is winning the Premier League as a goal still a realistic talking point? “The goal is to win the Premier League. I know that we are losing games but the goal is to win the Premier League again. I don’t know how long it will take. We have a goal and we continue forward no matter what. it’s impossible to know but you start understanding the players are better and we understand the league. We’ll see in the future. .... It’s really important but we have to recover the players. They were really tired and we have three days and then here at Old Trafford against Arsenal.”
“I was a pundit when I finished my career. It’s really easy to say. Our goal is to win the Premier League. Maybe it’s not with me but our goal is winning the Premier League like we did in the past with all the great glories and legends of this club. We want to do better. We know we’re in a difficult moment and I’m not naive. That’s why I’m here coaching at 40 years old.”
